A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explores the rapid rise of consumers and doctors turning to easier, faster and more convenient ways to meet – Telemedicine
Doctors are linking up with patients by phone, email and webcam. They’re also consulting with each other electronically—sometimes to make split-second decisions on heart attacks and strokes.
Patients, meanwhile, are using new devices to relay their blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs to their doctors so they can manage chronic conditions at home. Telemedicine also allows for better care in places where medical expertise is hard to come by.
“35% decrease in patients’ average length of stay and
30% fewer deaths than anticipated.”
As a measure of how rapidly telemedicine is spreading, consider: More than 15 million Americans received some kind of medical care remotely last year, according to the American Telemedicine Association, a trade group, which expects those numbers to grow by 30% this year.
What does this mean for your practice?
After years of big promises, telemedicine is finally living up to its potential. Driven by faster internet connections, ubiquitous smartphones and changing insurance standards, more health providers are turning to electronic communications to do their jobs—and it’s upending the delivery of health care.
Is your practice prepared to handle the rise of the virtual doctor? Talk to Provider Web today and see how our financial tools can help.